His Majesty's Requiem
by withered willow
Summary: When an attack failed to assassinate the King, Erza made it her mission to find out and take out who was responsible. Never did she expect to tumble upon a plan so deliberate it could cripple the whole kingdom.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

The royal family was nearing the outskirts of Magnolia when they all but came to a sudden stop.

"Your Majesty," Laxus, the knight in charge of protecting the royal's carriage bowed, his armor drenched from the relentless downpour. "The roads are flooded. Should we reroute, it'll double our travel time and effort."

The blue-haired monarch knew this, of course. He'll be risking his infantry's health and their lives should they brave the onslaught of the storm. It was a necessary stop but altogether an inconvenience especially when they were getting close to their destination's border.

"Gather our men. Our first priority is finding shelter." he firmly decided.

"There is a small town nearby. Hopefully we'll find an inn where they could fit all of us." Laxus informed to which the king approved.

"If rooms are inadequate, we'll request a household to take us in and reward them for their hospitality."

Without another word, the blonde knight bowed once more and went on to instruct the foot soldiers.

"I knew I should have gone alone." he chastised himself, glancing momentarily at the two other figures that were with him inside. One was a woman older than him by birth, her fair skin and ebony hair a perfect contrast. The other was the youngest; a princess full of energy who somehow, still possessed grace.

"Jellal," The King preferred it if his sisters called him by his first name, when they were alone at least since the laws strictly forbid it. "We're glad we could accompany you. Right, Meredy?" The eldest looked to the youngest for support who was unfortunately busy watching in fascination as the rain assaulted the ground and watched the soil crumble.

"What? Oh yeah. Ultear and I are having the time of our lives. Better than staying behind in the dry, warm, comfort of our castle."

Ultear rolled her eyes at this as the king continued to sink back further into his seat.

It was a bad decision, really. He berated himself once more for not listening to his council's advice. He knew all too well about the storm yet somehow, against his better judgment, he pushed through the journey and even allowed his sisters to join him. He couldn't find it in himself to blame the Duke of Magnolia as well. There was some sense of urgency from his letter that demanded his presence in person. In the midst of the torrential rain, he briefly wondered what his concern was all about.

A few minutes passed and they have finally arrived.

They were lucky to have found an inn with hardly any occupants. Laxus had a word with the innkeeper and requested that the royal family's presence be kept secret.

"You Majesty," the blonde knight gave him his room key. "The Princesses will share the same quarters. I've already assigned two guards to stand by their door."

Laxus motioned the King to head up first while the others followed. When the monarch reached his room he ordered his loyal guard to rest but he flat out refused.

"At least settle down first. Take a hot bath so you wouldn't get sick. I can't have my strongest knight catching a cold."

When he finally persuaded the stubborn knight, it was the King's turn to relax inside his personal space. Muscles giving out after a tedious journey, he collapsed onto the mattress. It wasn't as comfortable as the one in his chamber back at the castle, but it will do just fine. He gazed outside the window with the rain still not letting up as thunder growled in the distance.

He could only hope it would stop before the day ends. The King, after all, cannot waste any more time.

"You think Jellal's quit sulking?" Meredy asked her sister who was busy brushing her hair. "Ever since he took over the kingdom, he's barely had time for his family. Not that I'm complaining."

The eldest daughter could only smile at this. "Well, the whole of Fiore's kind of like his family now. Isn't it amazing how he's equally giving each territory his attention?"

"I guess." Meredy continued playing with the strands of her pink hair, twirling the ends on her finger as she shrugged, feigning the fact that she was still not convinced.

"You little devil." Ultear tickled her sister's sides, earning a fit of laughter from the young princess.

.

This was the third place where she searched religiously for her lost purse. First was their shop, the second one was the apothecary and now, the cobbler's place.

"Erza, you've turned my place upside down. It isn't really here." the owner all but whined but she just wouldn't give up. "Maybe you lost it elsewhere."

"It couldn't be!" She slammed her fist against the wooden table, refusing to give up. Today was supposed to be a good day, she thought. The weapons were ready, it was a good weather—for her at least—but then she had to lose her purse which contained the tax money.

The redhead sucked in a breath to calm herself. Closing her eyes, she tried to recall what she had done and where she had been. She couldn't have just dropped it somewhere.

 _At dawn, I prepared breakfast then early morning I dropped by to deliver metal ornaments to a household, then stopped for a room at—_

Running towards the exit she donned the hood of her cloak and rushed outside amidst the horrible downpour. Ignoring the dirt and water splashing against her clothes, Erza waited for her way out of Magnolia.

It was night when she reached an inn. She rode one of the transport carriages on the way to the capital and was dropped off outside the border. The rain subsided and died down to a drizzle but she had to hurry. She was wet and cold and the temperature at night could be unforgiving. The redhead thought she'd have to deal with the penalty of paying late. For now, her priority was getting the purse then she'd retire for the night and sort things out in the morning.

She noticed a couple of horses and guards outside but paid them no mind as she was freezing. She was about to enter the front door when a soldier stopped her.

"Turn back. This place is full."

"I know who runs this place. Let me have a word with him. I'll just retrieve something I left and be on my way." But the soldier didn't budge as if to intimidate her. She wasn't though, and she only stood there stubborn as ever. Her action seemed to alarm the rest of the guards who in turn gathered around her. Taking this as a last warning sign, the redhead backed off.

"Alright, gentlemen, I'll go." Erza retracted her steps and disappeared into the black of the night. The guards returned to their designated posts as if nothing happened.

"Those bastards," Erza muttered. "I'm not leaving without my purse."

She swiftly and quietly made her way to the back of the inn where there were a few guards patrolling the area. The redhead observed when and where the soldiers would stop, monitoring their every movement. When the coast was clear she took her chance and sprinted stealthily in the dark. She nimbly climbed the inn using the dents and spaces of the wood on the structure. Remembering where the room she had stayed in, Erza unlocked the window and silently went in.

Success.

Her footsteps were calculated and every movement quiet. She didn't want to disturb the person residing in this room after all.

She pulled the second drawer out and was relieved to see her purse still there.

"It's amazing how you didn't manage to slip and fall." A voice had her almost tripping on the floorboard.

She saw a figure standing against the corner of the room where the candlelight was closest to her, bathing the room with a soft and warm glow. The area farthest from the flame was dim and badly lit it was hard to make out the person's face. But based from the guards and horses outside, Erza decided this person was a noble.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to disturb you. I just came to retrieve something." she patiently explained. Nobles were quite a pain in the neck if she could recall. Having to deal with them and their fragile ego was worse than straightening a badly bent sword. "I'll be just taking my leave, My Lord."

The man chuckled at this which surprised her. She'd faced a few nobles in her life and most of them were annoyed, some even mad, by how she speaks out the honorific as if she wasn't worthy. But somehow, this man seemed amused.

She turned on her heel and faced the man who was now walking towards her, with panic rising in her chest, Erza instictively reached for the window to escape. She was stopped however by the man who was now grasping at her wrist, his face easily distinguishable.

"Y-Your Majesty?" Erza reflexively fell to her knees shocked at how things had escalated from bad to worse. There was no denying his identity with that undoubtedly blue hair and rather famous red insignia on his cheek and forehead. She still couldn't believe she was face to face with the most powerful man in the kingdom—King Jellal Fernandes of Fiore.

The redhead went pale and rigid.

"Forgive me Your Majesty. If I had known—"

"Surely my soldiers had warned you? Or have you come here and managed to avoid them? That would mean your intentions are already questionable."

"I have talked to them, Your Majesty, but they wouldn't let me in and provided no other explanation, so I...kind of found my own way in." She mentally slapped herself. Of course, they probably didn't want anyone knowing about the King's whereabouts for his own safety.

King Jellal didn't let her go. Instead he used his free hand to help her to her feet and remove her hood—scarlet hair a mess and drenched in the rain. Her skin, pale from the cold and cloak stained with mud.

His firm and unyielding, green eyes met her tired but determined brown eyes.

"Your Majesty—"

"A knight is just outside my room," he reminded her. "It'd be best if you keep your voice down. Now, what is your name and why have you come here?" The King continued to inspect her, checking for hidden weapons beneath her cloak.

The redhead reached for her purse and shook it for emphasis. "My name is Erza, a blacksmith of Magnolia and I left my money here, Your Majesty. Like I said before, I just came to retrieve it and nothing else. I mean you no harm. I'm no thief nor assassin." She spread her cloak, and turned slowly, revealing no weapons.

"Intruding inside the King's chamber is a crime punishable by death."

Erza turned white.

"Please I—" she practically begged.

"I can't let you go." Her heart sank.

"Stay the night."

"Your Majesty, I—what?"

"There's hot water in the bath. Take the other bed. As your King, I cannot allow you to travel all the way back at your present condition and in this unpredictable weather."

"I-I don't understand, Your Majesty." Erza was confused. Did she hear that right? She, a lowly subject, offered to retire for the evening and share a room with the King?

"You're not going to punish me? I could be a thief or assassin."

The monarch smiled at this. "You're not helping your case, Miss Erza—" he deliberately drawled her name out as if waiting for her to fill him in with her last name.

"It's just Erza, Your Majesty. I'm an orphan."

The King silently nodded, accepting her answer.

"I'm honored to have met you, Your Majesty. Surely you ought to be resting. I must go."

"You need rest as well. You're not to leave this room and that is final."

With that said, everything was set in stone. Erza couldn't believe what was happening even until she took a bath. As awkward as the situation was, the best she could do was spare herself and the monarch the least humiliation. A few minutes later when she got out, she found him sleeping on his side, facing her bed.

Erza was exhausted, a good night's sleep was all she ever wanted right now. But simply, she cannot take advantage of this. She walked quietly to the edge of the King's bed.

King Jellal was fast asleep. The ride undoubtedly wore out the monarch.

She stared at the King's face for a good long second before thanking him silently, bowing in the process. The descent down was easier than the climb. She reached the ground moments before the soldiers could spot her.

Erza could not shake off the image of the King sleeping soundly and so defenseless in his state. She briefly wondered how his kindness could cause his downfall.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

The King woke up before sunrise. He sat on the bed and stretched as he checked up on the guest who had long disappeared. Judging from the crisp, tidy sheets and the pillows perfectly in place, he had guessed that the woman left without getting a shuteye. Briefly he examined himself for wounds when he found none, the monarch stood up and slipped his hand into his satchel. The bag of jewels still there and untouched. He sighed, running a hand through tousled hair and feeling guilt coursing right through him.

He had his doubts, but thought about how absurd and late it was to come to that conclusion considering he had practically given her an opening last night.

"I must be insane." he muttered to himself. If Ultear or Laxus were to know about his little charade last night, he'd sure be assigned more guards and anyone who comes into contact with him will be punished or killed off. No one would dare go near him and the idea itself was so absurd he practically cringed.

Still, the woman has impressed the King. Slipping past his guards and having breached his quarters without alerting Laxus was quite splendid. Then again, the storm had possibly taken a toll on everyone and fatigue caught up to even the best of the best. The woman was rather skilled or extremely lucky. And regarding her intentions, if she was sent to kill him, he would have been a cold corpse by now. Jellal had never sensed hostility or malice coming from her.

A knock on his door alerted the King.

"Enter." he permitted. Laxus escorted the eldest sibling into his room, dipping his head low to greet him in return. When Ultear made her way in, the knight closed the door to give them their privacy.

"Ultear," the King checked her sister's side clearly he was looking for their youngest sibling. A bit of her infectious energy would be good for him right about now.

"Meredy's still asleep. I see you haven't prepared. Should the people see you like this, I bet you wouldn't be out of the castle for a month." she teasingly pointed out at her brother's current state.

The King smirked at this as if it was something to brag about. "Should I give them something to talk about?"

"Heavens, no. Imagine the trouble you'd put Meredy and I through." Ultear was already shivering at the thought. "We should be on our way. The Duke of Magnolia has sent his troops to fetch us."

"They've arrived?"

"A little while ago. Turns out, the Duke panicked and assembled a search and rescue party when we failed to arrive yesterday."

Jellal sighed. That much was understandable. He rubbed his forehead and dismissed his sister.

"I'll be down in a bit. Go wake Meredy up."

Ultear wasn't kidding about the troops. Turns out, the Duke had fully deployed twenty soldiers, two physicians, a coachman and a carriage. He's going to have to apologize to him later on.

Laxus joined the King as he looked up, traces of dark clouds replaced by a sunny and a stretch of blue sky.

"I was told by the guards about an untimely visit of a woman last night at the inn. Had she, in any way disturbed you, Your Majesty?" the knight inquired.

Jellal simply shook his head. There was no way he was going to say yes to that, although he wouldn't call it a disturbance at all. If it was anything, the surprise visit was rather pleasant. Due to his position, he'd hardly had any contact with his people. He could only talk to them from afar or with the presence of his guards. The encounter with the redhead last night was gladly welcomed even if she nearly gave him a heart attack.

"Your Majesty. We're all set to go." A soldier informed them.

"Alright. Let's not keep the Duke waiting."

The ride went on smoothly and faster than Jellal expected. In just about fifteen minutes, they've reached Magnolia. The royal family was introduced by a herald just as they entered the heart of the city, followed by and greeted by a parade as hundreds of people showered them with fresh flower petals.

Truly, Magnolia was beautiful, vivid and full of life. Comparing it to the capital city and their home, Crocus, the latter lacked in festivities and color save for the games celebrated and held once a year.

"I'd very much like to live here." Meredy commented, opening their carriage's door as she waved back at the people whose cheers even got louder the moment they caught a glimpse of royalty. Ultear who was preventing her sister from overdoing it, managed to smile at the crowd as well. "Jellal, can we move the castle here?"

"Meredy..." Sometimes her sister was just impossible or maybe it was him, for taking her jokes way too seriously.

Their trip ended right at the entrance of Kardia Cathedral where the Duke was awaiting their arrival. Hundreds of people had gathered outside as well but were held off the guards, creating a safe space for the King and his family to meet with the Duke.

"Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, welcome to Magnolia."

.

Kardia Cathedral was as majestic as he recalled. The holy structure was a sight to behold with its pristine marbled floors and walls. The windows were huge, starting from the floor and ending just under the second level of the church. Streaks of sunlight bathed the cathedral making it dazzle in a heavenly glow.

"I see it still fascinates you, Your Majesty." the Duke happily pointed out. He was a short, old man with white and thinning hair. Contrary to his age, his personality still seemed to hold the heart of a young man.

"It does." The King agreed, glancing to his side when Laxus bowed to greet the Duke. It was a nice view to see his loyal knight meet his grandfather for the longest of time. They exchanged a few words before the Duke rejoined the monarch. The princesses and the rest of the guards were led to a separate room. Jellal and Makarov reached a private hall inside the cathedral and once they were both settled, Jellal went on to voice out his concern.

"What pressing issues do you have for me, Duke Makarov?"

The Duke sighed and uttered one word that alarmed the King. "Zeref."

"What about the late Tyrant?" he managed to ask.

"A fornight ago, we've recovered dead bodies of Magnolia Guards. Five of them lifeless and bearing the insignia of Zeref." Makarov paused for a bit, hoping it would give the monarch enough time to absorb the information. "On a separate account, we've arrested a few vandals who had sown into our men's uniforms the Tyrant's emblem."

"The dead can do us no harm," Jellal calmly quoted. "Perhaps, Zeref's remaining believers are still keeping his memory alive. Aside from the guards, were there other murders that occured?"

The Duke shook his head. "We have the two killers in our dungeon as we speak, but they would not talk."

"Let me pay them a visit."

Both of them had come into an agreement and returned to the cathedral where the Princesses and the guards were waiting.

"Jel—Your Majesty," Ultear cleared her throat. "A word?"

The Princess pulled at the monarch's sleeve.

"We must be getting home. Siegrain must be feeling lonely without us there. I've asked Laxus to arrange everything for our departure."

The King sighed. "You and Meredy go on ahead. I've urgent matters I need to attend to."

The Princess frowned. She was about to say something when the Duke called out to her brother. Jellal gave her an apologetic look before asking his guards to take them home while Laxus and a few men stayed for the King.

It was for the best.

.

Erza was on her way to deliver the weapons to the royal army in Crocus. She was accompanied by two other men: one was a pink-haired wagoner named Natsu and the other, a black-haired guy called Gray who was with her keeping the weapons in check.

"I encountered the King last night."

Gray gave her a look of disbelief, his eyes shifting lazily to to meet hers. "And I'm dating the Princess."

"You are?" Natsu nearly turned a hundred eighty degrees in shock.

Erza rolled her eyes at this.

"That was sarcasm, you idiot." Gray snapped back.

"Oh yeah?"

"You're both idiots." The redhead interjected. She couldn't believe how much longer she had to endure the journey with the two of them always raring to go at each other. They were like fire and ice.

"So, humor me. How was the King of Fiore like?"

Erza was still frowning. She couldn't blame them though, it was especially difficult to believe her story since it was so out of the ordinary. Meeting the King and having interacted with him seemed like an improbability considering their status.

The redhead refused to speak causing the two to divert their attention elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, they chose to have a verbal fight instead when they got tired of pestering the woman who appeared even more annoyed than ever.

 _This is going to be a long ride._

.

Jella was upset.

He and his men were on the way back to Crocus and the monarch was disappointed for not having extracted any sort of information or clue as to why the men killed the guards and left the mark of the Tyrant Zeref.

Why were they reliving and glorifying the name of Zeref? Are there more of them? Is this really a matter of importance? Why can't he shake off the feeling of a bad omen soon going to happen?

So many questions and he holds no answers.

The carriage unceremoniously stopped and Jellal thought they had crashed. He then heard loud noises from outside. Soon enough, the clashing of metals and battle cries echoed from within the carriage. Laxus hastily opened the door and the alarming expression he had alerted the King.

"An ambush! We're surrounded, Your Majesty!"

The blonde knight pulled the King outside.

Jellal witnessed the bloodbath happening right before his very eyes. The carriage's wheels were wrecked and the coachman was dead. There were a few bodies slumped on the ground and he knew right away they were already—

"Hurry, Your Majesty!" Laxus deflected a series of attacks that were directed to kill the King. Jellal finally coming to his senses, picked up a sword left forgotten on the ground. He, like the rest of his soldiers fought alongside them.

Clearly they were outnumbered and the monarch's men are dropping quickly like flies. Laxus was ready to grab the King and make a run for it when he was stopped by enemy reinforcements.

"Run, Your Majesty! I'll hold them off! You two, keep the King safe! I'll take care of these scoundrels!" Laxus roared as he took down a couple men with a vicious swing of his sword.

The two guards in charge of protecting the King went on to carry their duty. The three of them sprinted down the road. Jellal's heart was pounding in his chest and his lungs were desperate for air.

An archer's arrow pierced right through the light armor of one of the guards and the other had to cover the King. In just a matter of seconds, they were surrounded by a group of four men.

"Your Majesty," The last soldier looked at his King one final time, bowing before he drew his sword in an attempt to fight them off. He charged at them without hesitation and Jellal already knew the outcome of the battle.

The soldier's body fell with a heavy thud.

Jellal knew this wasn't the time to do something stupid. Yet somehow, in confusion and horror, his response was to pick up a weapon. He wasn't going down with a fight.

"Don't make this harder for yourself, Your Majesty." One of the assailants spoke. "Just come with us nicely, and maybe we'll let you off with a few broken bones."

Ignoring the threat, Jellal kept his cool and interrogated them.

"Who are you and what do you want?" He managed in a commanding tone. Though he knew the odds weren't in his favor, he was sure as hell he'd never give them any power over him.

"Let's get this over with."

They each took their turn in attacking the King but with the idea that they weren't there to kill him only gave the monarch confidence.

He alternated between slashing and defending all the while thinking that he was in control.

"Enough!" The biggest of the four swung his sword with an impact so strong it brought the King to his knees. Scrambling to his feet, a hand connected with his nape causing him to lose his vision and meet total darkness as he slumped on the ground.

.

The blacksmiths were on their way home when Natsu picked up a sound from short distance. The group, out of caution, quietly went to check out what was happening.

At first, they thought there was a fight that had transpired, but the longer they watched, the clearer the picture became.

"That's the King!" Natsu whispered in horror. "And they're trying to kill him!"

They retreated back involuntarily to avoid being spotted.

"We can't get involved. It's too dangerous." Gray spoke out, face pale and painted with obvious fear.

"Gray—"

"No!" The black-haired man seethed. "We're not going to risk our lives for the King. We aren't going to play hero. We've got a whole life ahead of us and—"

"But we have to—"

"—there's a lot more I wanna do so—"

"Gray!" Natsu yelled out in frustration.

"What?!"

"Erza's already charged head on." He pointed out to the woman who didn't even think twice about rescuing the unconscious monarch. With a sword in hand she slashed her way through, momentarily disorienting the group.

"What is she thinking?" Gray grunted but ultimately reached for a weapon in the wagon. They were given by the royal army for repair, but since they found themselves in a dire situation, they really haven't got much of a choice but to use them to fight.

Natsu and Gray backed the redhead up, switching into offensive when Erza would retreat onto a defensive state. They weren't experienced swordsmen nor they were trained fighters, but the element of surprise, they clearly have the upperhand.

Natsu dodged an attack from one of the men in the group and hit his face with the hilt of sword hard enough to make him fall, his head bashing hard into a huge rock rendering him unconscious.

Gray took care of the archer before he could draw his arrows. A single strike was all that it took to make him fall to the ground. The third one was quick on his feet, landing non-lethal blows on Erza's friends. Natsu aimed for the guy's feet in an attempt to make him lose his balance but he expertly dodged every move.

"You fools! Interferring with—" A punch to his face sent him reeling backwards, unable to finish his sentence.

"Yeah, shut up." Natsu cleaned up the mess with a savage blow to his gut.

Erza had the easiest fight compared to her two friends. She ended up with the big one carrying the King. The tip of the redhead's blade penetrated the last enemy. Without wasting another moment, she cradled the King in her arms to check if he was alright.

"Is...is the King dead?" Natsu collapsed to the ground, adrenaline leaving him weak after the fight.

"He's breathing." Erza sighed in relief. "Thank God. Help me carry him. We have to get him to safety." The two men rushed to her aid in a mission to bring the monarch back to Crocus.

"Damn, we just saved the King. We're getting a reward right?" Natsu was thrilled at the thought of it and Gray joined him when he realized after a bit of thinking.

They placed the monarch beside the weapons in their wagon, ready to return to the royal city when a stampeding group of soldiers from the opposite direction surrounded them.

"Ah, Royal Guards! How lucky! We'd like to claim our rewa—oof!" Natsu crouched to the ground, holding his stomach when a soldier hit him right in the stomach.

"What the—Hey! We're not the enemy here!" Gray explained as he was seized in an instant. Erza tried protesting too but just like her friends, she was also forcibly immobilized.

The blonde soldier was hurt and injured and livid but his resolve to serve and protect his King was unshakeable.

"Bring them back to the castle and throw them in the dungeon. I'm going to make sure they won't ever get to see the light of day."


End file.
